PRODUCT PLACEMENT: Beauty
I’m just going to dive right in with my latest obsession: the T3 Voluminous Hot Rollers for medium to long hair. When it comes to achieving waving locks away from the salon and on my own, I’ll just admit that I’m follically challenged. Seriously, think: Shirley-Temple-child-pageant-hair.
Not with the T3. On my first go (which was a complete shock), it delivered the promised voluminous relaxed curls, with only eight rollers, while straightening the hair at the crown. And the day-after hair still had some volume and wave – a nice surprise.
Want a preview? Here’s a how-to vid:
Then there’s my new favorite brush in my makeup toolbox. You may have already seen this recommendation in print -- Sarasota Magazine’s March Fashion I.Q., to be exact -- but the Shiseido Perfect Foundation Brush is worth repeating.
Use it with all formulations of foundation. Just dab, dab, dab – then smooth it out. I even use less product than I ever have but still get the coverage I need, like a second skin. I found the brush at Dillard’s for $38.
Here’s a 42-second lesson in application:
Speaking of foundation, my friend Frances Broussard heard from a London-based model about this new revelation in beauty. Apparently the Japanese makeup brand SUQQU has a foundation that is the rage of the moment in the UK. Sadly, it’s not available here yet – but it’s always fun to know what’s happening across the pond. And I know you’re Internet savvy and will find a way to get it if you really want it!
Frances did have a jar, so I tried it on my wrist – so creamy. But take it from make-up artist Pati Dubroff, who disclosed to Marie Claire UK that “since discovering SUQQU foundation I have not used any other. The finish is flawless.”
What makes it so fantastic? They’ve tapped into the optical technology by adding colors such as red and blue pigments, which counter discoloration, into the cream foundation so they assimilate into the skin naturally. The assimilation into the skin is entirely true: Minutes after I tried the product, it was completely blended.
Nuovo salons are getting rave reviews and feedback on AVEDA’s newest addition to their hair care line: Invati. They say it will reduce hair loss by 33% and help maintain your youthful hair by invigorating the scalp and follicles with a mix of traditional Indian herbs. And P.S.: Even Dr. Oz likes it.
We’re always looking for the perfect lashes, right?? If you haven’t gone for the eyelash extensions, like me, then you may be interested in Ultraflesh Panthera Mascara. The collective purr on this product is that it not only defines the lashes but it’s buildable as well--buildable meaning that you apply once for a soft look or continuously for longer lashes. Part of the secret to the lengthy lashes is in the formulation of conditioners but the other is the wand -- brush on one side and lash comb on the other.
Since I don’t need mascara with my Xtreme Lashes, I’d love to hear if any of you have tried this product! Dying to know how well it works…
Hot off the production line and just out this month, can’t wait to try Goody’s Quik Style paddle brush. The microfiber bristles absorb excess moisture (something like a ShamWow, I’m guessing), which is key to a good blowout and cuts down on drying time.
One of our Sarasota Magazine cover girls put COOLA on my radar – it’s suncare and skincare that is 70 percent-plus certified organic ingredients with natural minerals. I love the Sport Moisturizer/SPF 30 in Citrus Mimosa. The tube says that it’s “ultra water resistant” -- I haven’t tested that, but I truly believe it by virtue of the dense cream, which consists of organic beeswax, candelilla wax and carnuba wax. And no greasy feeling at all.
Every winter I search for a body moisturizer to stave off dry skin, just in case. This year, while reading French blogger Garance Dore, I discovered Ducray’s Ictyane Crème Emolliente Hydratante, which corrects and prevents skin dryness. You may think I’m crazy when I tell you it’s dreamy, but it is. The cream is so rich, yet it somehow absorbs within moments, leaving your skin oh-so-soft. No residue, no sticky surface. Uh, and the scent is perfectly lovely. If you’re interested, I found it on amazon.com.
OK, ending on a totally decadent note – Terry McKee introduced me to Frédéric Malle’s new Perfume Guns, which were originally created for hotel use -- this may explain why every lobby in Paris smells divine. Good luck if you’re going for it and choosing from the five scents: Rosa Rugosa, 1er Mai, Café Society, Jurassic Flower and Russian Nights.
Terry and I are particularly drawn to Café Society. How could we not be with this description?
“That ephemeral odor of the living room a few minutes after the end of a Parisian dinner when the guests have just left. A memory, an immaterial moment, sensual and fragile, nearly human: this odor of mixed scents is like an imprint of a near and happy past.”
Sigh.
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